Video - Fig Pollination - Why and How

A video i did about fig pollination. Hope it helps to understand it a little better. I will do a part2, when i have the time, showing, in more detail, how i did to pollinate my figs in my waspless zone.

15 Likes

Great video Jaime!! How did you get all of those pictures? You’re
definitely THE MAN. You should write a book, because you obviously
are quite an authority. I’m sure you’ve forgotten more about figs than
any of us will ever know. Thanks for posting. I was completely mesmerized.

1 Like

I would like to grow some figs that may require wasps, is there a way to know if i live in fig wasp area? I live meditereannean type climate but dont currently have fruiting fig trees to know if i have wasps in my area. I live 20 miles east of downtown los angeles.

You probably have the wasp in that area. At the very worst you could get the right caprifigs and establish the wasp at your home. But in that area I’d just start out with the best eating varieties and see if they get pollinated.

2 Likes

Hi Ray.

I have been receiving Profichi from a good friend, the last 3 years, so i can pollinate my Smyrna varieties and i have been trying to document the process for myself, so i have quite a few pictures to choose from (the difficulty is locating and choosing the right ones)

This year i also tried to do a few recordings of the process, specifically the wasps entering the figs (its an ordeal for them as it can take half an hour for the first one to break through in figs that are just beginning to enter the receptive state).
As they are so tiny i have to use a camera with a good macro and i don’t have a tripod for that camera, so most filming is garbage (too rocky from excessive motion or out of focus). Still, i have a few good segments that i may join (when i have the time) in a part 2, namely, how i coach the wasps to pollinate the figs that i want :grin:
I don’t receive many Profichi every year, and i can’t afford to leave it all to chance - the wasps might end up in the non-Smyrna varieties, if they are more receptive at the time - and they usually are as the Smyrna tend to be a little later in development in my area.

Regarding a book. Maybe when i retire i have enough information to justify it. No time or enough knowledge, to even think of such thing now.
There are guys growing figs for decades - they are the authorities. Compared to them, i’m a newbie when it comes to knowledge about fig varieties. But i am curious and eager to learn.
I only did the video because i started my vacations and i love figs, so its time well spent. I’m glad you enjoy it.

HI,
As Steve is saying you probably are in a wasp area and can even plant a couple of caprifigs to secure your pollination needs. Nevertheless, as i said in the video, if you can find someone, near you, that has a caprifig with wasps, ask him to send you some Profichi in June, to pollinate your varieties that need it. Or you can locate a few wild caprifig trees and collect the Profichi yourself.

But, being in wasp country, most of the times, you lucky guys don’t have to do nothing. The wasps will find your figs and pollinate them without you having to do anything.

I’m planting a few caprifigs and i will try to establish a wasp colony on them, but for know, results are disappointing as none of my caprifigs seems capable of holding the winter crop, so the wasp cycle is broken every year. They are still young trees, so i still have hope that when more mature they will manage it.

2 Likes

Really cool video and good info! Your Incharo Branco figs look fantastic, are they one of your best? Thanks for posting this!

Inchário Branco is one of the best. But Inchário Preto is even better (its almost unanimously considered the best Portuguese Smyrna).
This year i have added another old, almost forgotten, excellent Smyrna variety - Castelhana Branca - and the graft (done in late February) even has some figs. I have coached a few wasps to one of the figs, that was entering a receptive state and, with luck, i may even be able to taste it, in September.

I may even be able to taste a couple of foreign Smyrna i am quite excited about - the Tunisian Zidi and the Turkish Black Bursa. If they have a chance to mature i will post an update (the Zidi graft only has one fig and i will have to guard it like a hawk and protect it from birds).

2 Likes

Jaime, what you’ve done and are doing with your movies are so special. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve contributed to my own learning.

Sincerely,

Dax

1 Like

Thanks, Dax.

Its good to know that the videos are useful to other fig enthusiasts.

I will try to do a couple of updates, when possible.

Regards,
Jaime

1 Like

Unbelievably well done! I’ll never grow a fig in my lifetime but I know good stuff when I see it… Probably better than anything you’d see on PBS, or from the local university TV programs. Very nice job!!!

1 Like